Printing machine



March 17, H: E HUBBARD ET AL PRINTING MACHINE Fiied Feb 6, 192a 14 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q fizz/Bl [[0719 March 17, 1931. E A D Q My 1,796,524

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1928 14 Sheets-Sheet 2 fzz/ezzZow AQW ,Mhu/ w March 1931; H. E. HUBBARD ET AL ,5 v

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1928 14 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 17, 1931. H. E. HUBBARD ET AL 1,796,524

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1928 l4 sheets-Sheet March 17, 1931. HUBBARD ET AL 1,796,524

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1928 1,4 Sheets-Sheet 5 March 17, 1931. H. E. HUBBARD ETAL 1,796,524

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1928 l4 Sheets-Sheet 6 iii/6272576 Z W W W 0 7%.CJM

March 931. H. E. HUBBARD ET AL 9 OPRINTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1928 14 Sheets-Sheet 7 14 Sheets-Sheet 8 |||||||lllh H. E. HUBBARD ET AL PRINTING MACHINE Filed-Feb. 6. 192a March 17, 1931.

March H. E. HUBBARD ET AL 5,

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 192B l4 Sheets- Sheet 9 March 17, 1931. H. E. HUBBARD ET AL 1,796,524

PRINTING MACHINE v Filed Feb. 6, 1928 14 Sheets-Sheet 10 March '17, 1931.

H. E. HUBBARDWET AL PRINTING MACHINE j Filed Feb. 6, 1928 Sheets-Sheet 11 w A; EABIiII' o0 Frgun DECATUR 11.1.

P HICAGO ILL.

izvelzfim' E W March 17, 1931. I H. E. HUBBARD ETALl 1,796,524

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1928 14 Sheets-Sheet 12 1120612707 5 g M W March 17, 1931; E HUBBARD ET L 1,796,524

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1928 14 Sheets-Sheet 13 71 +215 1O] MILL i l v .1 I T Z06/2Z07 J';

W 2. www C 7ZM CZ/QA,

March 17, 1931. H. E. HUBBARD ET AL PRINTING MACHINE l4 Sheets-Sheet 14 Filed Feb. 6, 1928 m Z w W Z c Patented Mar. 17, 1931 PATENT OFFICE HENRY E. HUBBARD, OF CHICAGO, AND CECIL C. MCCAIN,

OE GLEN ELLYN, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNORS TO ADDRESSOGRAPH COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPO- RATION OF DELAWARE PRINTING MACHINE Application filed. February 6, 1928. Serial No. 252,166.

This invention relates to machines for printing cards or slips for use primarily by the Postal Service to identify bags or bundles 4 of mail matter and its object is to provide an automatic machine of simple construction for making printing impressions on cards or slips from a plurality of printing devices which are run successively through the machine, and for identifying groups'of the printed cards or slips according to a classification of the printing devices.

Another object of the invention is to provide a box or other receptacle for receiving the printed cards or slips in regular order and for automatically disposing the cards or slips in the box in difi'erent positions which enable them to be readily identified in groups according to a classification of the printing devices.

Another object is to automatically offset groups of printed cards or slips in different positions in the receiving box according to a classification of the printing devices so that the printed cards or slips may be readily sorted. I

Another object is to provide simple means for easily and quickly converting the machine to print either cards or slips. In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated the invention embodied in a machine 'for printing cards or slips-for the Postal Service and referring thereto:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine two packer boxes being removed.

I Fig. 2 is an elevation of the right or drive end of the machine.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the left or printing plate discharge end of the machine.

Fig. 3a is a detail perspective'view.

Fig. 4 is a plan view, partly in section on line 44 of Fig. 1, of the right half of the machine.

Fig. 4a is a detail perspective view.

Fig. 5 is a plan view, partly in section on line 55 of Fig. 1, of the left half of the machine.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 6a and 6b are detail sectional views.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 77 of Fig. 1. a

F 7a is a detail view.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail perspective view of a packer box. Fig. 9, partly broken away and in section, illustrates the delaying mechanism with its switch'in a normal position when plain printing devices are passing through the machine.

Fig. lO-is a similar view showing in full lines the position of parts indicating that two notched printing plates are traveling through the machine. a

Fig. 11 is a sectional View on line 1111 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11a is a sectional view on line 11a11a of Fig. 11. W

Fig. 12 is a sectional View on the line 1212 of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged detail perspective view showing the selector finger and a notched printing plate at rest in printing position.

Fig. 14 is a similar view showing the selectgr finger being operated by a plain printing p ate.

Fig. 15 is a view similar to Fig. 14 but showing the cam holding the selector feeler arm in up position while the printing plate is traveling between printing stations, and holding the selector finger and pin out of operative relation with the selector feeler arm.

Fig. 16 is a perspective View of'a notched printing plate. a

Fig. 17 illustrates a card printed in the machine.

Fig. 18 illustrates a slip printed in the machine.

Fig. 19 is an enlarged perspective view of the packer box and holder.

Fig. 20 is a transverse sectional view through the packer box and holder and showing the position of slips thereon.

1 Fig. 21 is a sectional view on line 2121 of Fig. 22.

Fig. 22 is a plan view of the cutter devices.

Fig. 23 is a sectional view on line 22-22 of Fig. 21.

Fig. 24 is a diagrammatic view, partly in section, showing the machine set for printing sli s.

Fig. 25 is a smaller digrammatic view showing the machine set for printing cards.

lVe have shown the invention adapted for operating with one-piece printing plates and we will refer to them as such, but it will be understood that the invention can be used as herein shown and described with other forms of printing devices, requiring only such changes in the structure as will be necessary to accommodate the different forms, and the words printing plate as used herein will be understood as comprehending and including any and all forms of printing devices for which the invention is or may be adapted.

In the drawings 1 is the main frame and 2 is a drive shaft driven by the pulley 3 to which power may be applied from a motor 4 or other suitable source, Figs. 1 and 2. The drive shaft carries a bevel gear 2 which drives a bevel gear 5 on the ack shaft 6 supported in hearings in the frame, Fig. 6. A crank arm 7 is mounted rigidly on the jack shaft 6, Fig. 1, and it carries a roller 8 which operates in the cam groove 9 in the arm 10 which is pivotally mounted on a pin 11 in the frame. A rocker arm 12 is pivotally mounted on the pin 11 and a lever 13 is pivotally mounted between its ends on a latch pin 14 carried by thefree end of the rocker arm 12. A link 15 connects the upper end of the lever 13 with an ear 16 on the plate carrier bar 17, which is provided with a plurality of spring pressed feed dogs 18, Figs. 6, 6b. This carrier bar is reciprocated in a guideway 19 in the frame and the dogs engage and feed the printing devices 20 from the plate loading magazine 21 at the right end of the machine to the plate receiving magazine 22 at the left end of the machine in an intermittent movement with stops at each of the printing stations, four of which are shown in the machine illustrated. The cam arm 10 is oscillated on the pin 11 at each operation of the machine and the lever arm 13 is detachably locked to the cam arm by a latch 23 which is pivoted at 23 on the cam arm and engages the latch pin 14-, being held in engagement by a spring 24. Another spring 25 is fastened at one end I to the lower end of the lever 13 and to the rocker arm 12 so that if a printing plate becomes jammed in traveling through the machine the lever arm may yield while the cam arm continues its regular oscillation. An angle lever 26 is ivoted on the frame and it carries a release nger 27 and is connected by a rod 28 with an eccentric throwofl handle 29. By operating the handle 29 the angle lever may be rocked to cause the finger 27 to lift the latch 23 out of engagement with the pin 14 to disconnect the plate feed and cause the plates to remain in stationary position for repetition printing.

A head 30, Figs. 1, 4, 6, 7, 11 and 12, extends transversely the width of the machine in the upper part of the main frame, and has two downwardly extending arms which are mounted on bushings 31, Fig. 4, and 32, Fig. 11, whereby the cam shaft, packer box and associated parts carried by the head may be swung upwardly out of operative position to lift the packer boxes and permit access to the printing plate carrier and to permit the ink ribbon to be changed. At the right end of the machine the head 30 is pivoted on a sleeve 31 rigidly secured in the main frame 1 by bolts 31', Fig. 4. At the left end of the machine a sleeve 32 is rigidly secured by bolts 32 to the head and is arranged to plVOtjlIl the main frame 1, Fig. 11'.

Four partitions 33, one for each printing station, are secured in spaced relation within the head by screw bolts 34, Figs. 67. A cam shaft 35 is supported in bearings in the partitions and it is provided on its right end with a gear 36 which is driven from the gear 37 on the shaft 2 through the intermediate gears 36, 36" supported in the frame, Fig. 2. At each printing station there is a platen 38, carried by a platen arm 39 which is made in the form of a yoke having two rearwardly extending sides 39' pivoted at 39 on the main frame, Fig. 4a. The platen arm carries two rollers 40 which are engaged by cams 41 on the cam shaft 35 to depress the platen arm, which is normally held in up position by the spring 42, Fig. 6. The rollers 40, 40 of each platen arm are spaced apart at the free end'of the arm opposite printing position and a distance substantially equal at least to the length of the printing plate, and the cam 41 is of sufiicient width to engage the adjacent rollers 40, 40 of two adjacent platen arms. The printing operations at all of the stations are performed simultaneously and the spacing of the rollers. and the arrangement of the cams for engaging two rollers of adjacent platen arms provides for a uniform pressure of all of the platens during all printing oper- 'ations. The platen arm is made in the yoke form with spaced sides 39 to permit the web of paper 43 to feed from the supply roll 43',

Fig. 2, between the sides of the platen arm, as shown in Fig. 4, through printing position. There is a paper supply roll for each printing station and all of the rolls are supported on the frame of the machine, Fig. 2.

The packer box 44 for each printing station, Figs. 8, 19. 20, has a bottom which inclines downwardly and outwardly from the longitudinal center providing a flat section 45 on one side of the center which lies in a plane with a ledge 45 on the other side of the center, and a flat section 46, which lies in a plane with the oppositely disposed ledge 46'. The ledge 45 is elevated above the outer edge of the flat section 46 and the ledge 46 is elevated above the outer edge of the section 45 and the ledges and sections are preferably connected integrally, the box being stamped out of sheet metal. The right side 47 of the packer box is shorter than the left side and it extends at right angles to the plane of the section 45 and the ledge 45. The left side of the packer box has a bottom portion 48 which extends at right angles to the plane of the section 46 and the ledge 46 and an upper section 48' which projects above the side 47 and is substantially parallel therewith and at a right angle to the plane of the section 45 and the ledge 45. A packer box holder 49, Figs. 7, 19, is pivotally secured by a pin 50 to the bottom of the partition 33. The forward end of the holder is forked and thearms 51 thereof are adapted to embrace the sides of the packer box 44 and to engage'the side retaining flanges 52 thereon. Lugs 53 on the arms 51 engage the underside of the ledges 45, 46, Figs. 19, 20, and spring fingers 54 fastened to the bottom of the packer box engage the lugs 53 forholding the box in fixed position on the holder.

An ink ribbon 55 extends through printing position just above the printing plates and it is mounted on spools 56, 56 in a ribbon holding and reversing mechanism supported at the top of the frame and fully set forth and described in a concurrent application Seria No. 263,768 filed March 22, 1928. j a i The paper webs 43 are drawn fromthe supply rolls '43, Fig. 2,. through printing position by the feed rolls 57, which are mounted on the shaft 57 supported in the frame 58 carried by brackets 58' on the head 30, Figs. 1, 6. The feed roll shaft 57 projects through the left end of the machine and carries a loose gear 59 which is operated by the segment gear 60, Fig. 3. An arm 61 rigid with the gear 59 carries a'pawl 61 which engagesa ratchet 61" rigid on the feed roll shaft 57 for operating the feed rolls Figs. 3, 3a. By. providing the pawl and ratchet between the gear and the feed roll shaft the feed rolls are prevented from turning in a reverse direction upon the return movement of the segment. The segment gear is pivoted at 60 on the bracket 62 which is fastened by-bolts 62 to the head, Fig. A crank disk 63 on the cam shaft 35 has a transverseslot 63' and a block 64 is adjustably securedin this slot and travels in the cam slot 65 in the segment gear 60, Fig. 3. The block 64 is adjusted in the slot 63 to control the movement of the segment gear so that the feed rollers will feed the webs of paper a predetermined distance at each cycle of operation of the machine. V

For printing cards 100-the block will be adjusted to feed the paper the length of one card at each operation and the first card printed from a printing plate at the first printing station will not be severed from the web until the first card is printed from this printing device at the fourth printing stat-ion at which time the first web will have printing impressions from four different printing plates, as indicated in Figure 25. For printing slips 101 the block 64 will be adjusted to feed the paper a length corresponding to one slip 101 at each operation, each slip will be severed from the web as printed, as indicated in Fig. 24. In printing short cards 100the pawl 61, Fig. 3a, will travel a distance of one tooth on the ratchet'61 at each printing operation, but for printing slips the pawl will travel a distance of five teeth on the ratchet at each printing operation. It will be understood that the parts are timed as shown in the drawings for printing cards or slips of the sizes indicated in Figs. 17 and 18,.and that this timing may be changed to suit other conditions as will be. readily understood. The printing plates may be provided with printing characters of any kind to print station data, addresses or any other information and after they travel through the several printing stations they may be deposited in a trayorother receiver for storage or for other purposes,-as for example in the. manner commonly employed in addressin machines. We refer to the invention as an a dressing machine because it seems to indicate the type of machine'more closely than would the term printing machine, but we do not wish it to be understood thereby that we are restricting the machine to the printing of addresses because it will be readsired information.

Opposite each feed roller 57 and cooperating therewith there is a pressure roller 66, Fi s. 6, 7 which is mounted in a slide holder 68 aving slots 68' to receive bolts 68" whereby the slide holder is adj ustably mounted on led the head, Fig. 4. A spring 69 is" fastened to the frame 58 and to the slide holder 68 to hold the pressure roller 66 in operative relation to the feed roller 57 and permit the pressure roller to be drawn away from the feed roller to facilitate insertion of the end of the aper web in the lower ends of the slotted gui e; 70 for the side edges of the web, Figs. 1 4,

A packer 71 is arranged above each feed roller opposite the entrance end of the packer box and operates between the side guides70, Figs. 6, 23. A link 72 is pivoted at its upper end to the head at 7 2 and at its lower end to the packer at 7 2 and constitutes a swinging support for the packer, Fig. 7a A curved cam lever 73 has its upper end pivotally connected to the head 30 at 7 3 and its lower end pivotally connected at 7 3" to a rear extension Means are provided for cutting the web below the packer after it has been printed and fed upward in the guides between the packer and the entrance end of the packer box. A movable knife 75, Figs. 7, 21, 22, is slidably mounted on the frame which is secured to the frame 58 over each feed roller. Two blocks 7 6 are loosely mounted above each knife 75, and each block has a beveled front edge 76 to engage the beveled bottom edge 71 at the back of the packer. Springs 77 are connected at one end to the blocks 7 6 and at their other end to an arm 77 on the paper feed and cutter frame 58. A stationary knife 78 is mounted in front of the moveable knife on a frame 78, which is secured to the paper feed and cutter frame 58. The construction is such that the movable knife cooperates with the stationary knife to shear the paper which projects upward therebetween. The movable knife has .a slot 79 located adjacent to the cutting edge and the blocks 76 are arranged to have their front ends pressed by the packer upon that part of the knife between the slot and the cutting edge to insure a shearing engagement of the cutting edge With the cutting edge of the stationary knife. A backing 80 is fastened to the movable knife 7 5 and has an extended central portion, Fig. 22, in which a rod 80 is supported therein. The blocks 76 are loosely mounted on the rod and the springs 77 are connected to the ends of the rod. The blocks 76 engage recesses 80 in the backing 80 which prevents movement of the blocks lengthwise of the rod 80', but these blocks are otherwise loose on the rod so that they are capable of a limited movement about the rod when the beveled edge 76 of the blocks engage the beveled edge 71 of the packer. The movable knife is caused to travel forward with the packer by the springs 77 which hold the beveled edge 76 of the blocks in wedging engagement with the beveled edge 71 of the packer and consequently the cutting and packing operations take place at the same time. The movement of the packer is, however, much greater than that of the movable knife because the latter is limited in its forward movement after the severing operation is complete, by engagement with the side guides 70. Thesprings 77 extend at an angle to the line of movement of the movable knife to pull the blocks forward and downward in wedging action with the beveled lower edge of the packer. The pack r presses the severed slip forward into tie packer box against a suitable follower 44 or against previously packed slips and a spring finger 81 is fastened on the bottom of the packer box, at the entrance end there of over which the packer moves the severed slip and which prevents the bottom of the slip last packed from slipping back and out of the box into the path of the web. The packer forces the side edges of the slip out of the guides 70, Fig. 23, into the packer box and these guides overlap the side edges of the slip last packed in.the box and cooperate with the spring finger 81 to retain the last slip packed in the box.

When the invention is used for postal work and cards or slips are printed to be applied to mail bags and packages of mail for delivery at a plurality of stations on a mail route, it is desirable to print a number of cards or slips for each station of the route to provide a supply for use as required, and the number to be printed will be predetermined according to the average number which it has been found are required for that station. For example, in preparing a supply of slips if it is desired to print sixteen slips for a particular station, four duplicate printing plates will be provided bearing the type characters necessary to print the data for that station and these printing devices will be arranged in the loading magazine in consecutive order. Each of these printing devices will be printed four times in their travel from the loading magazine to the receiving magazine, and once in each printing station and four printed slips will e packed in each of the packer boxes and will be collected by the operator and assembled for storage in the slip supply. The machine is intended to operate at a relatively high rate of speed, the loading magazine holds a large number of printin devices, and the printed cards or slips will is packed in the packer boxes faster than a single operator can conveniently remove them; so that it is'desirable to provide means for easily and quickly distinguishing the printed cards or slips for the different stations which may be packed in the boxes. Some of the printing devices are plain and some are notched or otherwise suitably identified to make them index printing devices for classification purposes.

To this end we provide the printing device 20 last to be printed with a notch 20, Figs. 13, 16 to cause the actuation of certain mechanism whereby the packer box is rocked to receive the slip printed by the notched printing device in a tilted position with reference to the slips from the preceding plain printing devices of a series. A small gear 82 rigid on the cam shaft 35, Figs. 5, 9, 10, 12, and 24 drives a large gear 83 loosely mounted on the sleeve 32 with a ratio of four to one. A sleeve 84 is rigidly secured to the sleeve 32 by a bolt 84, Fig. 12. The sleeves 32 and 84 are slotted to, receive the four slide bars 85 which are connected by the rods 85 at 49 to the holders 49 of the respective packer boxes. These slide bars are arranged symmetrically about the sleeve 84 and they carry rollers 85 at their ends, Figs. 9, 10. A bracket 86 is bolted to the sleeve 84, at the outer end thereof and this bracket is provided with an inwardly projecting cam flange 86, Figs. 9, 11, which has a gap at its bottom, Fig. 10. Four levers 87 are pivoted at one end 87 to the large gear 83, Figs. 9, 10. The free end -which is arranged to operate through the opening in the flange 86, An oscillating shaft 92 is supported at its right end in a sleeve 31 rigid with the frame, Fig. 4, and at its left end in the sleeve 84rigid with the head, Fig. 11. An arm 93 rigid on the shaft 92 carries a roller 93' which is held in operative engagement with an arm 94: of the rocker 90 by a spring 94, Fig. 9. A lever 95 is rigidly mounted on the oscillating shaft '92 and it carries a roller 95' which engages a cam 95 on the cam shaft 35, Figs. 4, 13-15. Two selector bar holders 96 and 96 are rigidly secured on the shaft 92, one opposite the first printing station and the other opposite the fourth printing station, Fig. 24. A selector bar 97 is rigidly mounted in one of the hold-v ers. Selector; feelers 98 are pivoted at 98 on the main frame 1 and are provided with upstanding pins 99 and are held under the tension of'springs 99 normally in the path of movement of the printing devices 20 and at one side edge thereof. One of these selector feelers is located opposite the first printing station and the other selector feeler is located opposite the fourth printing station for cooperation with the selector bar which may be engaged with one or the other of the two selector bar holders.

This machine is adapted to print cards 100 or slips 101, Figs. 17, 18. For printing cards the selector bar 97 will be engaged with the holder 96, Fig. 25; for printing slips the selector bar will be engaged with the holder ing station as shown in Fig. 14, it will have swung the selector feeler to carry the pin into position to be engaged by the selector bar and prevent the selector bar from "swinging downward and the shaft 92 fromoscillating and prevents the cam lever 95 from being operated "by the cam 95". When the shaft 92 is oscillated by a notched plate, Fig. 13, the switch point 91 is swung out through the gap in the cam flange 86' from its normal position, Fig. 9, to the position shown in Fig. 10 and the next cam roller 88' approaching'the switch point will travel over the point and inside of the cam flange. The large gear 83 revolves continuously, a quarter revolution for each printing cycle and the cam 88 on the cam lever 87 which has been swung into operative relation with the rollers 85 on the slide bars 85 will engage the first roller in its path and slide the bar 85 connected with the packer box at first printing station to tilt the packer box sidewise for receiving a slip- 101. Since the slip travels .in upright position into the packer box and the packer box is in tilted position the slip will rest upon the flat section 46 and the ledge 46, Fig. 20. In the next cycle of operation of the machine the cam 88 now working inside the cam flange will release the slide bar connected to the first station packer box and will operate the slide bar connected with the second-- station packer box and tilt this box as before described; and this operation will be repeated for the third and fourth print. ing stations. Immediately after the cam 88 and roller 88 have entered the gap in the cam flange the spring 94 returns the switch point through the gap to its normal position, Fig. 9, so that when the cam has operated the four slide bars its roller will travel on the switch point out through the gap and resume its normal position riding on the out-side of the cam flange. Thusa notched plate will tilt each packer box in the four printing stations and cause the slip printed by that notched plate to be off-set in the box from the slips printed by unnotched plates, which rest upon the flat sec-tion 45 and the ledge 45. If.one notched plate follows another the operation just described will be duplicated and there will be two slips offset and resting upon the flat section 46 and ledge 46, or as many as there may be notched plates. The slide bars are returned to normal position after the passage of the cam 88 by springs 102, Figs. 4, 5 and at the same time the packer boxes will be restored to their normal upright position.

The machine is designed to work with plain and with notched printing devices arranged 'in any orderand in any combinations. The

diagrammatic view, Fig. 24, and the detail views, Figs. 13-15, show a selector bar 97 engaged with holder 96 at the right of the machine for printing slips; and it will be obvious that by shifting the selector bar 97 from the holder 96 to the holder 96, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 24 and in full lines in Fig. 25,

the machine will be set to print cards.

\Vhile we have shown and described the invention as embodied in a machine for printing, cards and slips for the Postal Service we are aware that it can be used for other purposes with such changes as may be necessary to adapt it for particular conditions, when required, and we do not limit the invention to this particular use. It will be apparent, also that the invention can be embodied in a machine with one printing station or with any desired number of printing stations and we have shown it provided with four printing stations because this machine has been found to suit Postal Service requirements. The cards and slips differ in size and are so designated to distinguish them; they may be made of the same stock, or of different stocks. To avoid needless repetition in the claims we will use the word slips to designate the product of the machine generically.

We are aware that changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts may be made to adapt the invention for other uses than the one herein particularly described, or for other purposes, and we reserve the right to make all such changes as fall within the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. In a machine for printing slips, the combination of means for feeding printing devices to printing position, printing means, a receiver comprising a packer box to receive the printed slips in stack relation, and means to tilt the packer box for disposing a printed slip in the packer box in offset position in the stack with respect to other slips therein for designating groups of slips in the stack according to a predetermined classification of the printing devices.

2. In a machine for printing slips, the combination of means for feeding printing de- 'vices to printing position, printing means, a receiver to receive the printed slips in upright position in a single stack and having means for supporting a printed slip in the receiver in an offset position with respect to other slips therein for grouping the slips according to a predetermined classification of the printing devices, and means automatically controlled by the printing device which printed that slip for operating said receiver to position said slip supporting means.

3. In a machine for printing slips, the combination of means for feeding printing devices to printing position, printing means, means for directing slips into upright position, a receiver to receive the printed slips in a single stack in upright position, and means for disposing a printed slip in the receiver in a different position with respect to other slips therein for grouping the slips according to a predetermined classification of the printing devices, said slip disposing means comprising a holder for rocking the receiver to tilt said difi'erently positioned slips with respect to the other slips in the receiver.

4. In a machine for printing slips, the combination of means for feeding printing devices to printing position, printing means, a receiver comprising a packer box open at its receiving end and at its top for receiving printed slips in stacked relation and in upright position in a single stack, and means for supporting some of printed slips in said stack in the packer box in a different position with respect to other slips therein for grouping the slips according to a predetermined classification of the printing devices.

5. In a machine for printing slips, the combination of means for feeding printing devices to printing position, printing means, a receiver to receive the printed slips in upright position, means for disposing a printed slip in the receiver in a diiferent position with respect to other slips therein for grouping the slips according to a predetermined classification of the printing devices, means for operating said slip, disposing means to tilt said difierently positioned slips with respect to the other slips in the receiver, and means in said receiver for supporting said slips in tilted position.

6. In a machine for printing slips, the combination of means for feeding printing devices to printing position, printing means, a receiver to receive the printed slips in upright position, means for disposing a printed slip in the receiver in a different position with respect to other slips therein for grouping the slips according to a predetermined classification of the printing devices, means for operating said slip disposing means to tilt said differently positioned slips with respect to the other slips in the receiver, and means at the bottom of said receiver for holding said slips in tilted position in said receiver.

7. A combination according to claim 1 in which the packer box has a portion of one side inclined with respect to the other side.

8. A combination according to claim 1 in which the packer box having the lower portion of one side inclined with respect to the other side and the upper portion of said one sige substantially parallel with said other si e.

9. A combination according to claim 1 in which the packer box has a reversely inclined bottom and ledges at the side margins thereof to support the differently positioned slips.

10. A combination according to claim 1 in which the packer box having side ledges at its bottom and reversely inclined flat sections between said ledges, with each section lying in a plane with the ledge adjacent the other section.

11. A combination according to claim 1 in which the packer box is of a width at its upper portion to support the slips and of greater width at its lower portion to permit 

